Springfield Falcons and Manchester Monarchs meet again after epic comeback

Ryan Craig, shown here scoring during a preseason game, collected the game-winning goal while the Falcons were shorthanded in a 5-4 Springfield win over the Manchester Monarchs on Friday.Republican file photo.

SPRINGFIELD – Manchester’s players probably thought the game was over, even though there were 20 minutes left to play.

The Monarchs led the Springfield Falcons 3-0 after two periods Friday night and may have thought they had two points in the bag.

Guess what happened?

The Falcons staged their most dramatic comeback of the season, marching back from a three-goal deficit in the third period by scoring five goals for a 5-4 win over the Monarchs at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

Captain Ryan Craig collected his 100th American Hockey League goal to tie the game in the final period before he struck short-handed with four minutes left to put the Falcons ahead for the first time in the game. Nick Holden, Matt Calvert and Dalton Smith also scored for Springfield.

Who said teams need to play for 60 minutes to win a hockey game?

“I think our guys mentally thought they had the game won and Springfield had other thoughts,” Monarchs coach Mark Morris told the Manchester Union Leader. “There were a lot of young mistakes tonight, and obviously we’ve got to find ways to shut teams out.”

Actually, the comeback may not have been so stunning had Manchester goalie Martin Jones not made some great saves, including a skate save off Nick Drazenovic in the second period when the Monarchs held a 2-0 lead. But the Birds found a way to solve Jones in the third.

With the win, Springfield pulled even with the Syracuse Crunch at 26 points for first place in the Eastern Conference heading into Saturday night’s action. The Falcons and Monarchs met again Saturday, this time at the MassMutual Center for the third time in eight nights.

The Falcons won their first game of the season last night after they trailed entering the third period. Springfield had last earned two points when facing a deficit after 40 minutes on April 1, when Alexandre Giroux and Andrew Joudrey each connected in the third to down the Worcester Sharks, 3-2.

Springfield has responded from deficits of two and three goals in its pair of games against Manchester this season to take three of a possible four points with a shootout defeat and a regulation victory.

The Falcons have scored four short-handed goals this season and have not allowed a goal while on the power play. Springfield is one of just three AHL clubs to have not given up a short-handed goal in 2012-2013.

While most of the league’s goaltending attention has focused on Abbotsford Heat netminder Barry Brust, the Falcons’ Curtis McElhinney became the first AHL netminder to register 10 wins this season with his 25-save effort on Friday night. McElhinney’s four shutouts are also the most in the league.

The last time Springfield had overcome a three-goal deficit to win a game was on Oct. 28, 2011, when the Falcons battled back from 3-0 down in the second to secure a 4-3 overtime win over the Hershey Bears.